Cutting collector



flat. 19, 1943. E. w. SEWELL CUTTING COLLECTOR Filed May 18, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet l FIG.

Z2 Jwe INVENTOR. fi/WZEMJ ATTORNEY BYyQ Get. 19, 1943.

B. w. SEWELL 2,332,267 CUTTING COLLECTOR r Filed May 18, 1.942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i I ZZZJM INVE/NTOR.

. QAM w n ATTORNEY 1* end of another embodiment of the present 7 nvention, and

i htail bit I3 attached to the lower end thereof.

Patented on. 19, 1943 UNITED STATES CUTTING COLLECTOR Benjamin W. Sewell, Tulsa, Okla., assignor to Standard Oil Development Company, a corporation of Delaware Application May 18, 1942, Serial No. 443,392

4 Claims. ((31.255-14) The present invention is directed to a device for collecting samples of cuttings adjacent a drilling bit.

In the drilling of boreholes through hard formations by the rotary drilling method it often 5 happens that there is difflculty in obtaining cuttings typical of the formation being drilled. Under such conditions the pumps used for circulating the drilling fluid are often of such small capacity that it requires several hours for the drilling mud to make a round trip while circulation is being maintained. Moreover, in such rocky formations, it is usual to encounter crevices and caverns which may cause the loss of the circulation over considerable periods of time. In either case the geologist in charge of the well encounters difliculty in obtaining samples of cuttings which are representative of the formation in which the drilling is taking place.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an assembly including a wire line sample collector which may be arranged in the drill stem adjacent the drilling bit for securing samples of cuttings from the drilling fluid.

A further object of the present invention is to devise a device to be used in conjunction with a core barrel for obtaining samples of a formation which is being cored in conjunction with the operation of the core barrel.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention may be seen from a reading of the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings in which Figure 1 is a view partly in section or the upper end of one embodiment of the present inention,

Figure 2 is a view partly in section of the lower end of the same embodiment shown in Fig- 7 re 1, Figures 1 and 2 taken together constitut- .mg the complete device,

, Figure 3 is a view partly in section or the up- Figure 415 a view partly in section of the lower The drill collar II of Figure 3 is adapted screw onto drill collar 30 of Figure 4 and overot-"39 oflF igure 3 is adapted to engage spear ead 40 of Figure 4.

Turning now specifically to the embodiment hown in Figs. 1 and 2, within a borehole H is rranged a drill collar l2 having a conventional e bit is provided with conventional passages H for conveying drilling fluid lar to the cutting edges of the bit.

Drill collar I2 difiers from those conventional in'the art in being provided with a series of longitudinally extending slots IS in the upper portion thereof. and an annular ring 16 formed of a suitable material, such as rubber, separating the slotted upper portion from the lower portion. Additional longitudinal slots I! are formed in the drill collar between ring l6 and the drill bit.

Arranged for use with the above described drill collar is a wire line retrievable sample collector designated generally by numeral IS. The collector may be described broadly as comprising two concentrically arranged cylinders, the inner cylinder serving as a, conduit and the outer cylinder being perforated or slotted to serve as a screen. Attached to upper end of cylinder or inner tube I9 is a detachable head 20 provided with a passage 2| connecting with the passage defined by tube 19, and a suitable projection 22 for receiving a conventional overshot. Attached to the lower end of tube I9 is a similar detachable mem-, ber 23 provided with passages 24 connecting with the passage defined by the tubular member. Member 23 is also provided with a projection 25 arranged for contacting with bit Hi to space the openings of passage 24' a short distance above the passages M of the drill bit in order to insure a continuous passage for conducting drilling fluid from the drill stem to passages l4 adjacent the cutting edges of the bit.

Arranged concentrically about tubular member I9 is cylindrical screen 21. This member is held in spaced relationship with tubular member I9 I by means of upper head 20 and lower member 23. The interstices of that portion of the screen below ring l8 are large enough to admit cuttings from the drilling operation, while the interstices above ring l6 are sufllciently small to trap samples of the cuttings.

In using the device above described, the drill bit and collar are attached to the lower end of the string of drilling pipe in the conventional manner, and lowered to the bottom of the borehole. Member I8 may then be dropped down the drill pipe and allowed to assume the position shown in the drawings. The drilling fluid will then be circulated and the drill bit rotated in the usual manner, cuttings produced by the drilling being carried upwardly by the drilling fluid and trapped by member 21 as the drilling fluid, deflected by member I8, is forced to pass into this member. When a sample of the cuttings is desired, an overshot maybe lowered at the end of from the drill colwithdrawn from the borehole.

a wire line to engage spearhead 23. and the device retrieved, samples removed therefrom by disassembling device l8, the device reassembled and returned to the bore hole.

Another embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. As illustrated therein drill collar i2 is secured above a drill collar 80 attached to drillbit 3!. Drill collar and the bit 3| are conventional and are arranged for use in conjunction with a conventional core barrel 32. The sample collecting device i8 comprises the same elements as the device shown in Figs. 1 and'2, with the sole exception that a rod like member 88 carrying m overshot 38 has been substituted. 7

In this embodiment the device is assembled with bit 3i, lower drill collar 30, and upper, drill securing said slotted cylinder and said conduit in spaced relationship.

2. An assembly suitable for collecting samples in a bore hole comprising, in combination, a core barrel provided with a retrieving meansra first drill collar arranged to receive said core barrel for taking cores, a second drill collar arranged above said first drill collar, a sample collecting and said, conduit in spaced relationship, and a second means securing the lower end or said cylinder and said conduit inspaced relationship,

and an overshot carried by said second means engaged with the retrieving means or the core collar i2 secured to the lower end of the string or drill pipe. The drill pipe is lowered into the collecting device. The assembly is then dropped through thecstring or drill pipe'until it strikes core head 3i and is in the position shown in Figs. 25

3 and 4. Thereupon, drilling is begun, a core is taken by core barrel 32, and simultaneously therebarrel.

3. A device in accordance with claim 2 in which the second drill collar is provided with a series of spaced longitudinal slots and a circular outwardly projecting ledge dividing the drill collar T into-an upper slotted and a lower slotted section;

4. An arrangement suitable for obtaining samples of cuttings in a borehole comprising a drill collar, a circular outwardly projecting ledge sewith cuttings are collected by slotted cylinder 21.

when the coring is complete an overshot atbarrel to engage the spearhead of member i8 and the-core barrel and sample collector are Having fully described and illustrated preferred embodiments of the present invention and the utilization thereof, what I desire to claim is:

'1. An assembly suitable for obtaining samples of cuttings in a bore hole comprising, in combination. a slotted drill collar, a projecting ledge arcured to said drill collar to" separate said drill collar into an upper and a lower portion, longitached to a wire line is lowered down the core tudinal slots extending through the wall in both 1 the upper and lower portions of said drill collar,-

an assembly arranged to fit slidably into said drill collar and to be withdrawn upwardly therefrom comprising a cylinder, relatively large openings in the cylinder arranged adjacent the slots in the lower portion of the drill collar for admitting. cuttings into said cylinder, and relatively small. openings in the cylinder arranged adjacent the slots lnthe upper portion of said drill collar for trapping cuttings in the cylinder, a conduit arranged within said cylindrical member and extending therethrough, means arranged to secure said conduit to said cylindrical member,

slidingly fitting withinsaid drill collar, a conduit arranged within said cylinder-for conducting a stream or fluid therethrough, and means and retracting means secured to said assembly.

ENJAMIN w; SEWELL. 

